James h



(No Model.)

J. H. WHITE.

FOLDING PEDESTAL.

No. 587,896. A Patented Aug. 10,1897.

I 2 Z l.

UNITED STATES" PATENT ()EEIcE.

JAMES H. IVHITE, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE lWIAN-' HATTANBRASS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

. FOLDING PEDESTAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,896, dated August10, 18 97.

Application filed May 17,1897. Serial No. 636,896. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES HJVHITE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented an Improvement in Folding Pedestals,of which the following is aspecification.

Myinvention relates to a pedestal for burialoaskets,the same being madeof metal. Metal pedestals have heretofore been made for this purpose,and the same have been made with crossing arms adapted to fold, butwithout means for insuring the position of the parts thereof either whenfully or partially open. The object of my invention is to provide forsecurely fastening the parts of the pedestal whether the same isentirely open or partially or entirely closed.

In carrying out my invention I provide four legs with feet and with twosets or pairs of cross-bars that are pivoted together, the lower setbeing pivoted in an ordinary manner and the upper set by a screw deviceand means formed with the arms for insuring an engagement of the partswhen the pressure of the screw is applied. I prefer to construct thesepairs of cross-bars as staggered and with central circular plates, eachplate being of approximately half the thickness of the cross-' bars, sothat the cross-bars occupy the same horizontal plane, and I prefer toprovide the clamping device upon the upper set of crossbars, thecircular plates of said cross-bars having radial facial serrations wherethey come together, so that the serrations mesh with one another andprevent the accidental movement of the parts and insure their positionwhen the clamping device is applied. With this construction when theclamping device is loosened the bars and legs may be set atapproximately right angles to each other or brought right up close in afolded condition or at any intermediate and desired position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents my improvement by a perspectiveView. Fig.2 represents a plan View of the parts in a closed position.Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the pivot of the lower set of arms,and Fig. 4 a cross-section through the clamping device of the upper setof arms, Figs. 2, 3, and 4 being of enlarged size; and Fig. 5 is an edgeview of one of the staggered arms, showing the radial serrations.

The four legs of the pedestal are represented by a b 0 cl and the fourfeet by a b c d, and upon the upper end of each of the legs is placed aknob or bearer 1. of the legs are connected by the staggered cross-barsh 2', with which the central circular plates h z" are made integral, andthese plates are preferably of about half the thickness of thecross-bars, so that the cross-bars are horizontally in approximately thesame plane, the plates being connected by the central pivot 2. The upperset of staggered cross-bars is shown at e f secured to the top of thelegs between the same and the knobs 1, and these The lower parts barsare provided with the integral central circular plates 6 f, likewise ofapproximately half the thickness of the cross-bars, so that said barsoccupy substantially the same horizontal plane.

The under surface of the plate f and the upper surface of the plate (2'that come together are each provided with radial'serrations thatmesh,and passing centrally through said plates is a screw-bolt k, andthe under surface of the plate a is provided with a projec-' tion tolengthen the internal screw-thread for the bolt, and upon the lower endof the bolt is pinned the nut and upon the upper end and passing throughthe head of the bolt is a ring-handle 1: and I prefer to employ a washeron the under side of the head of the nut, the same bearing upon theupper surface of the plate f. The nut 70 being pinned to the screw-boltat a distance below the lower edge of the projection of the plate eprovides for unscrewing the bolt to a limited extent and sufficient tofree the engagement of the serrated faces of the plates 6' f, so thatwhen the screw-bolt is loosened the respective parts of the pedestal canbe turned upon the pivots either into a fully open or right-angledposition or into a closed position, as shown in-Fig. 2, or to anyintermediate position desired, the simple turning of the screw-bolt bythe ringhandle bringing the serrated faces into engagement andpreventing, when the said bolt is tightened, the further movement of theparts.

The closed position shown in Fig. 2 is that position desired when thepedestal is to be carried about from place to place for use, and theobject of being able to fully open the pedestal or to partially open thesame is to provide in use for supporting caskets that are of differentwidths, the narrower casket being provided for when the pedestal isfully open and the wider one when the same is partially open, as thenthe width is increased.

I have shown in Fig. 1 and prefer to employ ornaments, such as thescrolls Z, connected to the inner faces of the legs and to the uppersurfaces of the staggered bars h 'i, so as to increase the visual effectof the folding pedestal and to brace the parts.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination in a folding pedestal withthe legs and feet, of cross-bars for connecting said legs in pairs, apivot for connecting one set of cross-bars and a clamping device forconnecting the other set of crossbars so as to secure the same fully'orparproximately half the thickness of the crossbars, so that saidcross-bars occupy substantially the same horizontal plane, a pivot forconnecting the set of cross-bars at the lower part of the pedestal and aclamping device for connecting the other set of cross-bars, so that anopen or shut or intermediate position of the parts of the pedestal intheir relation to one another may be maintained, substantially as setforth.

3. In a folding pedestal, the combination center of said plates, theupper staggered cross-bars e f and their integral central cir cularplates 6 f, the under surface of the plate f and the upper surface ofthe plate 6' having radial facial serrations engagingone another, and acentral device for clamping the plates e and f and interlocking theserrations to maintain the legs and cross-bars in an open, folded orintermediate position as desired, substantially as set forth.

4. In a folding pedestal, the combination with the legs and feet, of thelower staggered cross-bars h i and their integral central'circularplates h 7;, the same being of approximately half the thickness of thecross-bars, so that said bars occupy substantially the same horizontalplane, and a pivot 2 at the center of said plates, the upper staggeredcross-bars e f and their integral central circular plates 6 f, the undersurface of the plate f and the upper surface of the plate e havingradial facial serrations engaging one another, and a screw-bolt ishaving a nut k and ring-handle 10 passing centrally through said plates6 f and interlocking the serrations to maintain the legs and cross-barsin an open, folded or intermediate position as desired, substantially asset forth.

Signed by me this llth day of May, 1897.

JAMES H. WHITE.

Witnesses:

WM. H. SHELDON, W. H. BIRTWHIsTLE.

